1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a prospecting tool. More specifically, the invention relates to a tool adapted for scooping sediment from the bottom of a creek while searching for precious metals.
Gold is a precious metal that has held great value among a wide variety of cultures for many centuries. The metal is sought after because of its high malleability, ductility, conductivity, and resistance to corrosion. Because of these properties, gold has been used for jewelry, as a form of currency, and more recently has widespread uses in dentistry, electronics, and other fields. A search for gold has caused large numbers of people to move to new areas in search of new gold deposits, and in the process these gold rushes have led to new methods of gold discovery and extraction.
There have been a variety of methods developed in order to quickly mine areas that are known to contain profitable amounts of gold. These deposits of gold can be found in river beds and within mineral containing ores. The methods include that of panning, placer mining, sluicing, dredging, and hard rock mining for gold.
As discovery processes have evolved, gold prospectors have developed new techniques for mining for gold and other minerals. Small scale prospectors typically prospect for placer gold, wherein a placer deposit contains an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation during sedimentary processes. The miners use a variety of methods extract and separate gold from other non-desired minerals. The most popular method of gold separation is by gold panning, wherein a portion of a placer deposit is scooped into a pan. The deposit is gently agitated in water causing the gold to sink to the bottom of the pan. The setback of panning is that while some of the desired minerals may fall to the bottom during the agitation process, others precious minerals may accidently be removed or discarded, causing the prospector to miss out on a valuable find. Moreover, the method of panning requires a user to bend over to extract the sediment. This method often proves difficult for those who have back issues, and may often cause back problems for healthy users after extended panning.
There are several devices that attempt to provide a means of separation of sediment without requiring a user to bend over. These devices are provided in the form of prospecting shovels that rake across the ground and generally include a filtering mechanism for separating minerals from the water. The drawbacks of these devices are that they are often fail to provide attachments on the end of the shoveling devices that are adapted for traversing denser sediment. Additionally, since these devices include filtering mechanism adapted for water to flow out of the device, some trace amounts of desirable minerals may not remain in the device when the user searches contents thereof.
The present invention relates to a prospecting shovel that is capable of removing a portion of sediment from a creek. The prospecting shovel has an elongated handle and a shovel working end, wherein the shovel working end comprises a bucket-shaped shovel having an open upper, a closed and curving base, upstanding sidewalls, an internal ledge, and a leading end. The leading end of the shovel is adapted for insertion into a layer of sediment and provides a sharpened implement that can be replaced after extended use. The device differs from that of known shovel tools in that it prevents sediment captured within its bucket interior from easily exiting the same during the retrieval and sediment inspection process. The present invention serves to enable removing of sediment from the bottom of a creek, whereby the sediment is scooped into the bucket interior in a backward raking motion in order to facilitate the recovery of gold and other precious metals without bending over or losing large amounts of collected sediment during the process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to prospecting shovels. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to digging tools having entrapment meshes. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,237 to Doerr discloses a lake raking apparatus adapted for removing stones, weeds, debris and the like from the bottom of ponds and lakes. The raking apparatus includes a rigid box-like structure with one open side and a handle attached to one edge of the open side and a rigid cutting edge attached to the edge of the open side opposite the handle. The configuration has rigidity, good strength and insures that the handle and the box-like structure remain at a fixed angular configuration. Although the raking apparatus of Doerr is similar in nature and relevant to the present invention, it differs in that it fails to provide an open bucket design having upstanding sidewalls and a closed and arcuate base, wherein the sidewalls and base lack apertures that facilitate the filtering of sediment from the bucket of the shovel and further lacks a pointed end to facilitate the movement through the sediment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,279 to Sguazzin teaches a clam rake adapted to rake up clams and other delicacies such as scallops and oysters who inhabit the sand and mud of shallow waters. The clam rake includes side skids having raking teeth extending downward, therefore preventing clams from escaping from the basket through the sand. However, while the clam rake of Sguazzin is similar in nature and relevant to the present invention, it differs in that it fails to provide an open bucket design including up standing sidewalls and an arcuate and closed base that lack apertures or openings that permit the filtering of sediment or water through the bucket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,090 to Kim discloses a shovel for placer mining for use in a riverbed. The shovel includes a shovel handle, a shovel blade fixed to the handle, a shovel scoop detachably screwed underneath the blade, a mesh screen underneath the shovel blade, and a bottom lining. While the shovel of Kim is relevant in nature and similar to the present invention, it differs in that it fails to provide a pointed leading end adapted for facilitating shoveling into sediment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,690 to Montez teaches a hand tool for sifting debris from sand and soil. The tool includes a tapered wedge head, an entrapment mesh supported by a carriage structure, and a handle adjustably coupled to the carriage structure. However, while the sand sifting tool of Montez is similar in nature and relevant to the present invention, it differs in that it fails to provide an open bucket design having a upstanding sidewalls and a closed and curved base lacking apertures to facilitate the removal of sediment and creek water through the back and sides of the shovel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,044 to Russo describes a horse mucking rake. The rake includes a substantially straight, elongated handle, a base frame, a cage, and a plurality of tines. The tines extend from the base frame at right angles and each of the tines are parallel to each other. The cage comprises a lattice structure wherein the width of the lattice is less than the width between the tines. Although the mucking rake of Russo is similar in nature and relevant to the present invention, it differs in that it fails to provide an open bucket design having a upstanding sidewalls and a closed and arcuate base lacking apertures that facilitate the removal of sediment and creek water through the back and sides of the shovel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,366 to Fraske teaches a golf ball retriever. The retriever includes a main body resembling a scoop with a handle holder to which a pole-like handle may be attached. The main body includes a flat top portion arcuately connected to a flat bottom portion having a leading edge extending along the length thereof. The main body further includes three slots that are adapted to retain golf balls while allowing water to pass through the scoop. However, while the golf ball retriever or Fraske is similar in nature and relevant to the present invention, it differs in that it fails to provide an open bucket design having a raised back wall and side walls that lack apertures that facilitate the removal of sediment and creek water through the back and sides of the shovel, or a pointed leading end configured for insertion through sediment.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,474 to Baker describes a pond cleaning device. The device includes an open frame, a mesh net, a telescoping handle, and a plurality of tines extending from the frame. Although the pond cleaning device of Baker is similar in nature and relevant to the present invention, it differs in that it fails to provide an open shovel design having a raised back wall and side walls that lack apertures that facilitate the removal of sediment and creek water through the back and sides of the shovel.
The present invention relates to a new and improved prospecting shovel that reduces the loss of sediment while obtaining a sediment sample. The prospecting shovel includes an elongated handle and a bucket-shaped working end. The working end can be made from aluminum, steel, or another suitable material and includes a handle attachment area to accommodate an elongated user handle. The working end is a bucket-shaped implement having an open upper, raised sidewalls and an arcuate base that forms extends to form the back wall. Within the bucket interior is an internal ledge, while the bucket leading end includes a replaceable sharpened implement for piercing the sediment surface. The sharpened implement includes a pair of teeth that are removably secured to the leading end of the shovel.
Overall, the present invention provides a prospecting shovel that comprises an open bucket design having an open upper portion and a closed and arcuate base that lacks apertures therealong, which facilitates a reduction in lost product when prospecting through sediment. The bucket includes an internal ledge adapted to restrict the advancement of sediment towards the leading edge of the bucket while raking sediment into the shovel or when lifting and removing a sample of sediment from the ground.
In view of the aforementioned failings of the prior art devices, it is shown that the prior art has several known drawbacks that the present invention intends to solve. It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing prospecting shovel devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.